MANILA, Philippines — Senior Undersecretary Domingo Panganiban of the Department of Agriculture (DA) is facing graft charges in the Office of the Ombudsman for his alleged role in the sugar import controversy in February wherein he supposedly favored sugar traders to allegedly smuggle 250,000 metric tons of sugar into the country. ADVERTISEMENT“Sugar farmers and workers in the sugar industry have been gravely affected by the sudden influx of imported sugar in the market,” said Nacusip-ARB council director Roland dela Cruz. It was later revealed that the shipment, consigned to All Asian Countertrade Inc., was part of a 440,000 MT importation under Sugar Order No. Bad faith, partialityPanganiban later admitted that he had instructed “three capable and accredited companies to proceed with the importation of sugar” as early as January when Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin issued a memorandum allowing the sugar importation. By directing three importers as early as January to import sugar without an SO, they said Panganiban had “undermined and usurped” the function of the SRA board.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer June 06, 2023 12:16 UTC